Anne Arundel County Public Library to become Maryland's first book sanctuary

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. — As Banned Books Week continues, the Anne Arundel County Public Library announced Wednesday that it will be designated the first book sanctuary in Maryland. 

Banned Books Week was first started in 1982 in response to a rise of people challenging books in libraries, bookstores and schools. This year, the event will be held Sept. 22 to 28. 

"While some seek to block books they disagree with, our library system is stepping up to ensure that all voices, all stories, and all perspectives are protected," said County Executive Pittman. 

Book sanctuaries were started in Chicago in 2022, amid a surge in book-banning challenges across the nation. These sanctuaries are dedicated to collecting and protecting endangered books and making them more broadly accessible.

According to data collected by the American Library Association, censorship at public libraries increased by 92% over the previous year. In 2023, 54% of all book-banning challenges took place at public libraries. 

The ALA says pressure groups initiated 21% of those challenges. Prior to 2020, the ALA says a majority of challenges were brought by single parents, but recent data shows only 24% of challenges are initiated by parents.

“Anne Arundel County Public Library is dedicated to protecting the rights of all who use our library’s resources and will defend their freedom to read,” said AACPL CEO Skip Auld. “In becoming a Book Sanctuary, we reaffirm the library’s role as a defender of intellectual freedom, a place where every individual has the right to explore ideas without fear of censorship or judgment. This declaration is a powerful statement of our values and redoubles our efforts to educate people on the dangers of censorship to a democracy.”  

The designation comes as more than half of Maryland's public libraries have face book-banning efforts, as well as a 600% increase in staff threats and 11 bomb threats related to book bans over that last five years. 

While the Anne Arundel County Public Library will be the first book sanctuary in Maryland, it isn't the first in the DMV. Arlington County Public Library designated itself a book sanctuary in 2023. 

While so far this year, the ALA has seen a decline in attempts to censor or ban books when compared with last year, the organization said the documented attempts still far exceed the numbers before 2020. Additionally, the ALA said there have been instances of censorship where books are placed in restricted areas, not used in library displays and otherwise hidden or kept off limits. 

The public library is holding several events during Banned Books Week, including some at local breweries:

Each brewery has created an exclusive libation and 20% of all on-site sales during the release events will be donated to the library to support enhancements at all 16 branches.